Alignment device foe x-kay machines



Oct. 8, 1940.

c. L. cox 2,217,308 ALIGl VMENT DIiVICE FOR XRAY.RACHINES I I Filed June 1 1 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 JA/Ke/rra/g, I i V mime/.654. ("0x 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 \\Illl""""" C. L/COX ALIGNMENT DEVICE FOR X-RAY MACHINES Filed June ll 1938 Oct. 8, 1940.

Jwwraex 3677703 81. C'bx I Oct. 8, 1940;

c. 1.. cox 2,217,308 ALIGNMENT DEVICE FOR X-RA MACHINES Filed June ll,' 1938 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented a. 8, 1940 2,217,308

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,217,308 ALIGNMENT DEVICE FOR X-RAY MACHINES Charles L. Cox, Memphis, Tenn. Application June 11, 1938, Serial No. 213,110 8 Claims. (01. 250-64) This device relates to means for determining my positioning apparatus secured to the apthe proper positioning of an X-ray film or plate paratus for use.

and of the object which is to be X-rayed, with ref- Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the alining aperence to the X-ray apparatus and the cone of paratus. rays projected therefrom. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional elevation X-ray apparatus is usually provided with a taken on the line III-III of Fig. 4 showing the cone or confining tube through which the rays are battery case;

projected, which cone properly must be directed Fig. 4 asectional plane taken on the line IV-IV toward the plate, with the object to be shadowed of Figs. 2 and 3.

iirectly interposed, but the rays projected through Fig. 5 is a sectional plan taken on the line this tube are invisible, and the object to be X- V-V of Fig.1; and

rayed, as well as the plate on which the X-ray is Fig. 6 a section on the line VI-VI of Fig. 1.

made, are usually spaced at such a distance from Referring now to the drawings in which the the apparatus that extreme difliculty is often various parts are indicated by numerals:

found in properly determining this direction. In The numeral ID designates the body or casing such event the apparatus may not be properly of a typical X-ray apparatus, which body or caspositioned with reference to the object and the ing encloses the X-ray tube, ray directing shield plate, with the result that the picture taken is or cone, the line X-X indicating the axis of the distorted or even entirely fails to contain the cone of rays and the direction in which they are feature which was to be shown. Also the cone thrown.

u d is s y of a S c ed length depending On The cone l l is detachable in well known manconditions, or may even have to be entirely rener in such apparatus and the apparatus may be moved under some COl'lditiOIlS, S0 that even this used without the cone or with cones of arying positioning help may be absent. length; in other words, apparatus of this class The objects of the present invention are: is usually so made that the cone II is detachable To provide a mechanism which may be attached along a joint at l2 and such apparatus is ordito the X-ray apparatus and used to visibly indinarily furnished with cones of a plurality of cate the center of the picture which will be taken. length, the proper length of cone for the desired To provide means for visually indicating, as on use being selected by the operator.

the plate holder, and subsequently on the object In the aligning apparatus, [5 is a bracket to be X-rayed, the center of the cone of X-rays, adapted to be secured as by a strap 16 to the caswhich indicating means is movable into position ing [0. This securing means obviously is variably for such use and thereafter movable away from shaped and made to conform to such size and such position and from interference with the form of the apparatus casing as occasion may subsequent use of the positioned apparatus. require. The bracket 15 is provided with a slot To provide means for adjusting the positioning ll. I8 is a plate apertured for the passage of the of the indicating means at varying distances away bracket l5 therethrough, e plate having an from the apparatus, and for shifting the positiontegral ear l9 extending at right angles thereing means into adjustment with the axis of the to and being adj y Securable by a b X-rays and subsequently away from interfering which passes through this ear and the slot ll,

alignment with such rays while they are being thus providing adjustment of the plate 18 toward s d, or away from the casing of the apparatus.

To provide means for visually indicating the The numerals 2i designate a pair of tubes angular direction of the rays through the object which are spaced apart substantially equal disto be X-rayed; and tances from the bracket l5 and are secured to.

To improve the design detail and construction the plate 18, integrally if desired, but here shown of such apparatus. as secured between flanged portions 22 of the The means by which the foregoing and other plate and blocks 23 by means of clamping screws objects are accomplished and the method of their 24, the flanged portions 22 and blocks 23 being accomplishment will readily be understood from notched to receive the tubes 2| and hold them in the following specification by reference to the acparallel alignment. The blocks 23 preferably are companying drawings, in which: secured to the back 25 of a casing 26 which is Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a fragmentary poradapted to hold a pair of dry cells 21. tion of a typical form of X-ray apparatus show- The numerals 30 designate a pair of rods which 5 ing the ray confining tube or cone, and showing are slidably disposed through the tubes 2|. A

head 3| is secured to the rods 3|! by nuts 32. A head 33 is secured as by brazing 34 to the tubes 2|, this head preferably including a pair of spaced plates 35, 36 and a member 31 joining these plates. 38 are ears extending from the plate 35. The numerals 39 indicate a pair of arms both of which are pivoted on a pin 36 carried by the ears 39. Compression springs are interposed between the outer ends of the arms 39 and the plate 35. Pins 42 project from the arms 39, and sleeves 43 (one only being shown) of resilient material such as soft rubber or leather surrounding the pins 42 and provide frictional grips for engagement with the rods 35. The arms 39 are additionally provided with projecting members 44 which may be gripped by the fingers of an operator and moved together against the compressive action of the springs 4| to disengage the sleeves 43 from the rods 30 and permit sliding movement of these rods relatively to the sleeves 2|. v

A shouldered post 49, preferably hollow, is rigidly secured to the head 3|, as by a clamping nut 55, and projects in an opposite direction from the projection of the rods 35. An arm is turnably mounted on the post 53 and extends outward sub-- stantially at right angles thereto. 52 is a brace member secured at one end to the'arm 5| and diverging therefrom toward the post 50 and the head 3|, the inner end of this brace member being pivoted on the post and immediately underlying the head 3| A compression spring 53 is disposed around the post and between the arm 5| and the brace member 52, the member being sufficiently flexible to permit movement of its post end away from the post end of the arm, and the interposed spring of sufiicient length and strength to accomplish this spreading. A sleeve 54 houses the spring and is adapted to limit its compression, this sleeve preferably being centered around the post by washers at its opposite. ends, one of these washers 55 only being shown. 53 is a nut on the bolt 50 clamping the arm-sleeve-bracket asseming the spring compressed.

. this guide against nut tightly set up after the guide has been positioned bly frictionally against the head 3| and also hold- An arm .guide 60 which is mounted on the post and is retained thereon by a nut 8i. Nut 6| is adapted to clamp 55 and intended to be so as to retain the guide in such position during subsequent use.

A stop member 52 is carried by the arm 5| and is hereinafter designated as the arm-stop, and a complementary stop 63 on the guide 60, is herein-- after called the guide-stop. 64 is a handle for shifting the. arm.

A spot light 65 is mounted on the outer end of this light preferably including a bulb insulated wire 60 leads to this light, the light being grounded to the arm 5| in usual manner to form the other circuit lead. The wire 68 preferably leads along the arm 5| to the post 49 and thence through this post to the battery case 26.

.To provide for adjusting the heads 3| and 33 apart, an excess length of the Wire 68 is formed into a coil 58A between these heads, this coil preferably being housed in a cup 59 carried by the head 3l. 'Ihe wire 68 leads to a switch within the battery casing 26, and from this switch to batteries 21, which are grounded to the casing 25, the detail of such switch and mechanism being well known, being here not further described.

As auxiliary to the apparatus, which is largely used with the tubes 2! in' upright position, a casing mounted on the arm 5|.

80 may be mounted as on the battery case 26, this casing enclosing a dial sector 8| and a pointer 82 cooperating therewith, the pointer 82 being mounted on a pivot pin 83 and caused to remain in upright position by a weight 85, Also, a level bulb 85, of usual and well known type, may be 85 is a bracket secured to the sleeve 54, the bracket carrying a drum 81 mounted on a pin 88 carried by the bracket. 89 is a tape mounted on the drum 8?, this tape being usable for determining the distance of the X-ray tube from the plate on which the picture is to be made, or the object which is to be X-rayed.

In installing the device, the bracket I5 is securely fastened to the casing H) of the X-ray apparatus at a distance from the center of the X-ray cone, such that the arm 5| will swing the spot-light 65 directly under the center of the cone. This is usually accomplished by detaching the cone and making the measurement from the center of the cone socket along the under side of the casing Hi to a point half-way between the guide tubes 2|. Preferably the X-ray casing H is leveled up so that the center of the cone of rays cast, will be exactly vertical and attachment of the bracket I5 is so made, as by use of the pointer 82 and dial 8| and the level bulb 85, that the alining apparatus is similarly exactly vertical. After the alining apparatus has been thus secured to the X-ray apparatus the nut 5| at the lower end of the post 49 is slightly loosened and the arm 5| and arm guide 6|! are turned about the post until the spot-light comes directly under the center of the cone socket. In making this test it is usually found that minor adjustment of the distance between the X-ray center and the guide and post centers must be made, and this may be accomplished by loosening the clamping bolt 25 and shifting the guides 2| toward or away from the X-ray casing as may be necessary to decrease or increase the distance between centers. When the proper distance has been accomplished the spot-light is shifted around the post 49, to the exact center of the X-ray cone and the guide arm 50 is shifted to bring the guide-stop 63 against the arm-stop 52. The nut 6| is then tightened to solidly clamp the arm guideand its stop in this position, care being taken that in accomplishing this tightening no displacement of the guide-stop occurs.

In using the apparatus thus installed the arm 5| is turned about the post 49 against the restraining frictional resistance built up' by the spring 53 and clamping action of the nut 56 until the arm-stopfiZ and guide-stop 63 contact and limit arm movement, thus positioning the spotlight 65 in the center of the X-ray beam and the spot-light beam in alinement therewith. Current is then turned on by the switch 70, and the beam of light thrown by the spot-light indicates the exact position of the center of the X-ray beam. This light beam may be used first to center the plate holder in which the X-ray film is carried and thereafter to center that portion of the patients body, or other object which it is desired to X-ray, over this holder. Obviously it may also be used in various other manners or sequences to accomplish the same purposes, the important item being that a visual ray is established which indicates directly the line of the center of the X-ray beam.

After the X-ray apparatus is properly positioned with respect to the object and the plate holder, the arm 5| andthe spot-light, are swung about the post 49 away from the line of the x- 3. Position determining means for an X-ray ray beam so that the picture may be taken with+ out interference by the light apparatus. When so swung out of position, the frictional resistance established by the spring 53 and nut 56 should be suilicient to hold the arm 2| in such position as it may be moved to. Obviously with the X- ray apparatus in vertical position no difliculty is met. The apparatus, however, is usually of such type that it may be turned to throw a beam at any desired angle to the vertical or even horizontally, and in such cases the frictional resistance required is of course greater, but even in such case the arm 5| may be moved to such position with relation to the post that there is little or no turning moment, and holding be accomplished without difiiculty.

Many pictures are taken with the apparatus so close to the object that a very short cone is used, or even the use of the cone is entirely dispensed with; on the other hand, much longer cones are used than are here shown. To compensate for this varying length of cone, the members 44 are grasped by the fingers loosening the grips 43, and the rods 30 carrying the post 49 and arm 5! are raised or lowered bodily to position the spot-light 65 closer to or further away from the casing ll] of the apparatus.

In Fig. 5, HA indicates in dash lines the relative position in plan of the edge of the case with reference to the post 49-X is the axis of the X-ray. 5! shown the arm and 65 the spotlight swung out from beneath the cone with the arm-stop 62 away from the guide stop 63. MA shows the arm swung to bring the spot-light into determining position 65A beneath the cone. 51B indicates further swing of the arm away from interference with the X-ray beam.

I claim:

1. Position determining means for an X-ray apparatus which apparatus includes beam confining and directing means; said determining means including a spot-light adapted to throw a beam of light and a source of current therefor, a pivot post, an arm, turnable about said post, supporting said spot-light with the axis of said light beam parallel to the axis of said post, a bracket carrying said post, means for securing said bracket to said apparatus with said post parallel to the axis of said X-ray beam, and at equal distances from the axes of said light and X-ray beams; means for adjusting said post longitudinally relatively to said bracket, means for frictionally resisting turning movement of said arm about said post, and a stop member carried by said post and cooperating with said arm to limit turning movement of said arm when the axes of said beams are substantially coincident.

2. Position determining means for an Y-ray apparatus which apparatus includes beam confining and directing means; said determining means including a spot-light adapted to throw a beam of light and a source of current there for, a pivot post, an arm, turnable about said post, supporting said spot-light with the axis of said light beam parallel to the axis of said post, a bracket carrying said post, means for securing said bracket to said apparatus with said post parallel to the axis of said X-ray beam, and at equal distances from the axes of said light and X-ray beams; and a stop member carried by said post and cooperating with said arm to limit turning movement of said arm when the axes of said beams are substantially coincident.

apparatus having beam directing means; said determining means including means detachably secured to said apparatus, a: member off-set from the axis of said X-ray beam and carried by said detachable means, an arm pivotally supported by said member for movement in a plane at right angles to said X-ray'beam, a source of light mounted on said arm to direct a light beam at right angles to said plane and being spaced from said pivot support to permit movement of said beam along a circular are substantially passing through the axis of said X-ray beam, and means for stopping said arm with said beams in substantial coincidence.

4. Position determining means for an X-ray apparatus having beam directing means; said determining means including means detachably secured to said apparatus, a member off-set from the axis of said X-ray beam and carried by said detachable means, an arm pivotally supported by said member for movement in a plane at right angles to said X-ray beam, a source of light mounted on said arm to direct a light beam at right angles from said plane, and spaced from said pivot support to permit movement of said beam along a circular are into substantial coin cidence with the axis of said X-ray beam.

5. Position determining means for an X-ray apparatus having beam directing means; said determining means including means detachably secured to said apparatus, a member off-set from the axis of said X-ray beam and carried by said detachable means, an arm pivotally supported by said member for movement in a plane at right angles to said X-ray beam, a source of light mounted on said arm to direct a light beam at right angles from said plane and spaced from said pivot support to permit movementof said beam along a circular are substantially passing through the axis of said X-ray beam, means for stopping said arm with said beams in substantial coincidence, and means for restraining said arm and said light source thereon clear of interference with said X-ray beam.

6. Position determining means for an X-ray.

apparatus having beam directing means; said determining means including a member ofi-set from the axis of said X-ray beam and carried by said apparatus, an arm pivotally supported by said member for movement in a plane at right angles to said X-ray beam, a source of light mounted on said arm to direct a light beam at right angles to said plane and being spaced from said pivot support to permit movement of said beam along a circular arc substantially passing through the axis of said X-ray beam, and means for stopping said arm with said beams in substantial coincidence.

'7. Position determining means for an X-ray apparatus having beam directing means; said determining means including a member off-set from the axis of said X-ray beam and carried by said apparatus, an arm pivotally supported by said member for movement in a plane at right angles to said X-ray beam, a source of light mounted on said arm to direct a light beam at right angles from said plane, and spaced from said pivot support to permit movement of said beam along a circular are into substantial coincidence with the axis of said X-ray beam.

8. Position determining means for an X-ray apparatus having beam directing means; said determining means including a member ofi-set from the axis of said X-ray beam and carried by said apparatus, an arm pivotally supported by said member for movement in a plane at right angles to said X-ray beam, a source of light mounted on said arm to direct a light beamat right angles from said plane and spaced from said pivot support to permit movement of said beam along a circular are substantially passing through the axis of said X-ray beam, means for stopping said arm with said beams in substantial coincidence, and means for restraining said arm and said light source thereon clear of interference with said X-ray beam.

CHARLES L. COX. 

